Show Notes
Summer is heating up across Wyoming and as air temperatures rise, so does water temperatures throughout the state. In this episode of the Wyoming Wildlife Podcast, host Robert Gagliardi talks with Dave Zafft, Wyoming Game and Fish Department deputy fisheries chief, about fishing in the heat and about some voluntary closures of certain waters in Wyoming due to high water temperatures and low water levels. Zafft also talks about how low water levels at some of the state's lakes and reservoirs affects boating access, and also gives an update on the department's efforts to keep aquatic invasive species out of the state.
On a brighter note, Zafft gives some tips of where to go fishing around Wyoming this time of year, and also provides an update on the cool/warm-water fish facility being built at the Dan Speas Fish Hatchery near Casper.
———————
How is extreme summer heat impacting Wyoming's fisheries? Join us as Dave Zafft, Deputy Fisheries Chief of the Wyoming Game and Fish Department, breaks down everything anglers need to know during the dog days of summer. In this episode of the Wyoming Wildlife Podcast, we discuss the challenges of low snowpack, low stream flows, and high air temperatures affecting trout and salmonids across the state. Learn why the department is implementing voluntary fishing closures and catch-and-release restrictions to protect stressed fish populations on rivers like the North Platte and Green River. Dave also shares vital updates on reservoir boat ramp accessibility (including Glendo, Hawk Springs, and Flaming Gorge), highlights a few late-summer fishing hot spots, and provides an exciting update on the new warm/cool water facility being built at the Dan Speas Fish Hatchery in Casper. Finally, we cover the latest Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) regulation changes and decal fee increases designed to keep Wyoming waters safe from zebra, quagga, and golden mussels.
Timestamps 00:00 - Welcome & Introductions
00:31 - How extreme heat and low snowpack are affecting Wyoming fisheries
02:29 - Understanding voluntary fishing closures & catch-and-release restrictions
10:02 - Boat ramp accessibility and low water levels at major reservoirs
14:09 - Late-summer fishing hot spots to check out right now
15:34 - Exciting updates on the Dan Speas Hatchery cool/warm water facility
20:20 - Critical Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) regulation & fee updates
Keywords Wyoming Game and Fish, Wyoming fishing, summer fishing tips, trout fishing Wyoming, walleye fishing, Dan Speas Fish Hatchery, voluntary fishing closures, low water boat ramps, Aquatic Invasive Species Wyoming, AIS inspections, Wyoming wildlife podcast, Glendo Reservoir, Flaming Gorge fishing.
Additional Resources Check current fishing closures
Purchase your AIS decal or fishing license
More from Wyoming Wildlife Podcast
One of the most important partnerships the Wyoming Game and Fish Department has in serving its mission of "Conserving Wildlife, Serving People" is with private landowners throughout the state. One of those landowners is Betty Falxa. She and her late husband, Martin, and the family conserve more than 25,000 acres in Johnson and Washakie counties, and provide wide-open spaces for wildlife. The family's ranching legacy dates back to the early 1900s, but more recently, the Falxas have worked with Game and Fish and other partners to complete extensive habitat improvement projects that not only benefit wildlife, but also the land on the ranches. In this episode of the Wyoming Wildlife Podcast, Betty Falxa and Todd Caltrider, Game and Fish terrestrial habitat biologist in the Sheridan Region, talk about this special partnership and what it has meant to both.
Hunting season in Wyoming is rapidly approaching, and in some instances, is already underway. Wyoming Game and Fish Department Deputy Chief of Wildlife Justin Binfet provides a hunting forecast for many big game and upland species across Wyoming this fall. Binfet also talks about a proposal Game and Fish has on the table to go to a three-year season-setting process starting in 2027. This proposal will be voted on by the Wyoming Game and Fish Commission in November, and if passed, will replace the year-by-year season-setting process the department currently uses. Binfet also answers some key questions about the three-year season-setting process. ___________________
This episode of the Wyoming Wildlife Podcast is about a law enforcement case that was recently wrapped up in the Casper Region. Host Robert Gagliardi talks with West Casper Game Warden Austin Swingholm about a case that involved a hunting guide, the illegal taking of wildlife and fraudulent purchases of big game licenses ... among other things. Find out all about this case here, and also how fast it was able to be resolved.
Want to be a Wyoming Game Warden, and what it takes to be one? Wyoming Game and Fish Department Chief Game Warden and Wildlife Division Chief Dan Smith talks about all that, and more in this episode of the Wyoming Wildlife Podcast. Smith also shares what it's like to to serve in two crucial roles with the department, along with some memorable moments in the field during his career.
In this episode of the Wyoming Wildlife Podcast, host Robert Gagliardi talks with Ian Tator, Wyoming Game and Fish Department terrestrial habitat manager. Tator goes into detail about terrestrial habitat priorities throughout Wyoming and why those priorities are important to the landscape and wildlife of Wyoming.